Here's a family out for a lovely outing ... and they're about to ignore warning signs forbidding their entry into the territory of an aggressive bear near Canmore's Quarry Lake.
Photo courtesy Alberta Justice

But somehow, in the middle of a mountain paradise with umpteen kilometres of available wilderness, this exact spot is where a large flock of pinheaded people — including parents with small children and toddlers — chose to go on nature strolls and bike rides.

It’s all there on memory card.

After erecting bright yellow closure signs, taping the area off and setting up bear traps to catch the aggressive bruin, Fish and Wildlife officers placed cameras in the closure area to catch anyone violating the no-trespass order.

The photographs are astounding — and infuriating.

One shot shows a family on bicycles heading straight towards the tape and a Keep Out sign which blocks the path ahead.

Alberta Justice says later photographs in the series show the same group, including two young kids and a mom towing a trailer typically used for babies and toddlers, inside the closed zone.

Apparently the family of four or five just ignored the dangerous bear warning, and moved the tape to cross inside.

They weren’t alone.

Over eight days in late July, following an attack in which a Danish tourist was bitten on the hand, Fish and Wildlife took similar pictures of nearly 60 people ignoring the closure order, meant to keep humans and a stressed bear apart.

As well as parents with little kids and babies, one man was photographed getting his can of bear spray ready, as if actually anticipating an attack.

“I’m really saddened to hear that, especially since I thought Canmore was starting to really get it, and to be that community that really cares for wildlife,” said Kim Titchener of WildSmart, an organization dedicated to reducing human-wildlife conflict.

“I’m really disheartened to hear that — I’m shocked.”

In late July, Danish biologist Torben Lund was walking in the area when a bear — possibly a grizzly — suddenly charged and bit him on the hand, before breaking off and allowing the tourist to escape.

It was a defensive charge, likely after the bear was disturbed eating berries in the food-heavy area — but even that minor encounter was enough for wildlife officers to order a complete closure to protect people and give them a chance to capture the bear.

Those foolish folk all lucked out in avoiding an encounter with Canada’s largest predator, but they probably won’t be so lucky when it comes to the law that’s now hunting them down.

With an automatic court appearance and a maximum penalty of $50,000 and up to a year in prison for entering a closed wildlife area, those who crossed the line and were caught on camera are currently under investigation — and if identified, charges will likely follow.

Hopefully, for such pea-brained parents, that will also include a chat with social services.

In the meantime, the bear has done the wise thing and left the Canmore area.

Titchener says it’s lucky to have escaped the town with its life.

“Even if people aren’t concerned for their own welfare, they should be concerned about the bear,” she said.

“It’s already bitten one person, and if it gets into another interaction because it’s obviously highly stressed, they’re going to end up putting that bear down.”

At that point, you can only hope the idiot parent pays the price, and not some innocent kid.

The area is clearly marked KEEP OUT, due to an aggressive bear already responsible for one minor attack and numerous bluff charges.

The attack has been all over the news for days — but in case you missed that, the taped-off quarantine zone near Canmore’s Quarry Lake makes it obvious.

Danger, closed, keep out, and so forth: Only a human skull on a pike could make the peril more apparent, as Fish & Wildlife officials do their best to keep a potential tragedy from taking place.

“The area was closed for public safety,” said Brendan Cox, spokesman for Alberta Justice.

But somehow, in the middle of a mountain paradise with umpteen kilometres of available wilderness, this exact spot is where a large flock of pinheaded people — including parents with small children and toddlers — chose to go on nature strolls and bike rides.